Essex punks Pet Needs have released an acoustic album comprising 12 tracks, with four songs taken from each of their three albums to date and all performed unplugged. Cherry picking their own personal favourite tracks of their career so far, the band decamped to the tiny Welsh village of Borth with producer Mike West, where they spent four frantic days reworking them and performing them live in the village’s deconsecrated church, Our Lady Studio.
Explaining the rationale behind the new album and how Kind of Acoustic came together, frontman Johnny Marriott shares:
“We wanted to create something warm, raw and organic. Something acoustic. Something that felt like the most true take as opposed to the most perfect. Presenting the songs in this way has given them space to breathe. We’ve never recorded like this before. Mike West was amazing at the helm, guiding us through playing by feeling and having a conversation with our instruments as opposed to just hammering the tunes out. We’ve chosen what we thought would be best presented as acoustic songs, and together have created something we’re really proud of.”
Amongst the 12 tracks are singles (‘Get On The Roof’, ‘Ibiza In Winter’, ‘Fear For The Whole Damn World’, ‘Punk Isn’t Dead’), alongside a selection of fan (and band) favourites from their debut Fractured Party Music, the follow-up Primetime Entertainment, and Official Top 20 Album Intermittent Fast Living.
When a band challenges their creativity the results can be surprising. On paper it may not look like the best idea for Pet Needs to produce an acoustic album, but trust me, it does not detract in the slightest from the songs. And the energy is still there, just listen to ‘The Burning Building’ or ‘Scratch Card’ the passion is unmistakable.
Retaining the odd bits of chat from the recording process adds to the vulnerability and authenticity of the songs. “OK? Are we going again?” at the beginning of ‘Overcompensating’ or “Let’s Go!” at the beginning of ‘Ibiza in Winter’ are tiny tasters of the recording process not usually shared. The vocals of Marriott are crystal clear throughout. The lyrics of tracks such as ‘Fingernails’ and ‘The Age That You Were’ deserve to heard, and the acoustic versions gives the voice the projection it is worthy of.
Just because an album is acoustic does not mean there is no variety in the sonic landscapes. ‘Fear for the Whole Damn World’ is heartbreakingly gorgeous with only a piano accompaniment for most of the song: “Don’t follow, don’t follow in my footsteps”. The weight of the world seems to be on the band’s shoulders. This is followed by ‘Lost Again’ which begins like a charging bull. A highlight on the album with its speedy guitars and that expression of frustration bursting out through the song. There are numerous moments of vulnerability throughout Kind of Acoustic. ‘Self Restraint’ is self-deprecating but with a dose of humour and ‘Punk Isn’t Dead (It’s Just Up For Sale)’ has the most expressive guitar riff of the whole album. There is a resignation in the fact that punk isn’t dead it’s just up for sale, and to reveal this within the atmosphere of the track hits even harder.
Pet Needs have put their heart and soul into this album, of that there is no doubt. To create acoustic versions of their most cherished songs means stripping back the layers of instrumentation. It’s an exposing process, but one which has resulted in an album full of emotion and passion. The guitars and vocals are unencumbered by other instruments, and the outcome proves the quality of the original songs as well as the talent of Pet Needs who delivered stripped back versions with such spirit.
Review: 7 out of 10
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